Preface to the bay psalm book 1640 songs of the puritans. The psaltery was soon in widespread use on both sides of the atlantic. Thirdly, because the book of psalms is so complete a system of psalms. The book also features a dodgy rare book dealer, wily collectors and librarians. A london printer, stephen daye, came with the press and established a printing office in cambridge. It came into being nearly four hundred years earlier, as english settlers in the massachusetts bay area compiled a rhythmic version of biblical psalms for singing in worship. Psalms into english meeter, for his approbation, and cotton may have adapted some of these for the bay psalm book. It is a complete translation of the psalms in english meter, produced by the puritans on their own press only 10 years after their arrival in america and only 20 years after the arrival of the pilgrims. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english. The centennial librarys copy of the bay psalm book is a facsimile of the first edition, the earliest printed english work in colonial america. What you need to know about the bay psalm book christianity. Digital bay psalm book university of alabama press. The reverend jesse glover imported the first printing press to the massachusetts bay colony in 1638, some 18 years after the first english settlers landed at plymouth rock.
A2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing thomas princes annotations of variant readings from the 1647 reprint edition. The bay psalm book and the new england primer were, next to the bible, the most commonly owned books in seventeenthcentury new england. The vvhole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new. The psalm book, written and printed by the puritans of massachusetts bay colony in 1640, was designed to allow a whole congregation to sing psalms together in church and at home. The bay psalm book was printed just 20 years after the pilgrims arrival and remained in use for well over a century.
The bay psalm book was printed on a press that had been sent over with 240 pounds of paper and one case of type. Nov 27, 20 the translation of the biblical psalms, the bay psalm book, is seen at sothebys in new york. Its a book that was not created to be fancy or splendid or valuable in any way other than the significance of its content, says derick dreher, the director of philadelphias rosenbach library, one of the few institutions to hold a bay psalm. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book reformed theology at a.
The bay psalm book, as it is known, is essentially sacred text to be sung during the liturgy. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book reformed theology at. David redden, director of special projects and worldwide chairman of sothebys books department, commented. The bay psalm book 1640 the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first booklength publication in the north american colonies. Psalm 98 bay psalm book, 1640, by thomas ravenscroft ca. In a few cases we will also provide a version that retains the 1640 spelling to give a flavor of how they looked in the original.
The congregationalist puritans who emigrated to massachusetts bay in search of religious freedom quickly set about to translate and produce a version of the book of. Thus, in 1640, this whole booke of psalms became the first book printed in britains newly forming american colonies. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. Jan 29, 2017 the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first book length publication in the north american colonies. Heath anthology of american literaturethe bay psalm book.
The bay psalm book the first book printed in america is. The 1640 cambridge, massachusetts, whole booke of psalmes, or bay psalm book. In recent years, a new generation of scholars has returned to the book, seeing it from fresh perspectivesas a social document, for example, and as a physical artifact of early american life in the massachusetts bay area. Bay psalm book 1640 more on the bay psalm book rns three hundred and seventythree years ago, when the chief puritan divines of the young massachusetts bay colony printed their own translation of the bibles book of psalms, they prided themselves on importing the continents very first english printing press and establishing. The following year, the residents of the colony asked john eliot, thomas welde, and richard mather to undertake a new translation from the hebrew of the book of psalms, for use in the colonys churches. Bay psalm book was not only the first book printed in america, and the first book written in america. The vvhole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into.
Psalm 23 bay psalm book, 1698, by john playford 16231686. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. It will go on display in libraries across the united states. The psalms are prefaced by, as the titlepage has it, a discourse declaring not only the lawfullnes, but also the necessity of the heavenly ordinance of singing scripture psalmes in the churches of god. The bay psalm book, formally titled the whole book of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, was the first book printed on angloamerican soil. It is a complete translation of the psalms in english meter, produced by the puritans on their own press only 10 years after. The bay psalm book is a religious and cultural manifesto of the puritan fathers and a towering icon of the founding of the united states. Nov 12, 2012 with the reports today wbur, boston globe that the leadership of bostons old south church is considering the sale of one of its two copies of the 1640 bay psalm book, i thought it was worth taking a look at the eleven known copies. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the. The book was printed by puritan settlers in cambridge, mass. Thus, in 1640, this whole booke of psalms became the first book printed in. Bay psalm book 1640 hear what the spirit is saying. With the reports today wbur, boston globe that the leadership of bostons old south church is considering the sale of one of its two copies of the 1640 bay psalm book, i thought it was worth taking a look at the eleven known copies.
The first book written and printed in the new world, the bay psalm book holds a unique place in our cultural and religious history. The main thing you need to know right now about the bay psalm book is that a copy of it is up for public sale for the first time since 1947. Bay psalm book wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Description linecut facsimile the centennial librarys copy of the bay psalm book is a facsimile of the first edition, the earliest printed english work in colonial america. The translation of the biblical psalms, the bay psalm book, is seen at sothebys in new york. Bay psalm book, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the new. The bay psalm book played a central role in both public services and domestic devotions for over a century, since puritans. The bay psalm book was not only the first book printed in america, and the first book written in america. New york, 12 april 20 on 26 november 20, sothebys new york will auction one of the finest surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is now the united states of america. It was the first book turned out by a printing press that had been shipped over from england. The bay psalm book 1640 and the new england primer 1683. Translated directly from hebrew into english, the bay psalm book was printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in 1640, less than twenty years after the. Together, they served to disseminate puritan values for over a hundred years.
Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39. Neither cottons essay nor the poems have been attended to by modern critics. With it, new england declared its independence from the church of england. Bay psalm book article about bay psalm book by the free. The decision to print a book of psalms metered for singing may seem an odd choice as the first book to be printed by the settlers of massachusetts bay, but this modest book served the larger purpose of the colonyto live within the reformed church. If one of the old southbpl copies is sold, it will be the first time since 1947 that a first edition has come to auction, and would be. The bay psalm book of 1640 was the first book printed in america. Most of our transcriptions of the bay psalm book will use modernized american english, since our main purpose is the pragmatic one of wanting to encourage and aid the actual singing of the psalms. Nov 06, 2017 recently, the new york public library digitized in its entirety one of its great treasures, the 1640 printing of the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung.
The singing of psalms, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody. Mather was the principal author and translator, but was assisted by about 30 other new england ministers. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts.
Recently, the new york public library digitized in its entirety one of its great treasures, the 1640 printing of the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre. The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into. With it, new england declared its independence from the church of. Printed in cambridge, massachusetts, on a press set up by stephen day, it included a dissertation on the lawfulness and. Mar 14, 2020 the bay psalm book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. Printed in cambridge, massachusetts, on a press set up by stephen day.
This little book of 1640 was precursor to lexington and concord, and, ultimately, to american political independence. Being a facsimile reprint of the first edition, printed by stephen daye at cambridge, in new england in 1640. It was prepared by puritan leaders of the massachusetts bay colony. The bay psalm book 1640 the new england primer 1683. Chapter 2 examines a selection of these, ranging from the plain style of george wither, whose bid to supplant sternhold and hopkins ran afoul of the stationers monopoly, and the even more prosaic bay psalm book 1640, whose principal concern was wordforword faithfulness to the hebrew text, to the more literary work of george sandys, who. The digital bay psalm book gives scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts alike a rich and intimate experience of the book. In 1640, just 20 years after the mayflower landed at plymouth rock, they printed 1700 copies in cambridge, massachusetts. Bay psalm book in metre 1640 logos bible software forums. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640. Supervised by richard mather, thomas weld and john eliot. Both books are presented in a single hardcover volume. Richard mather and a group of his fellow new england clergy transcribed biblical psalms into metered verse. Whereunto is prefixed a discourse declaring not only the lawfullnes, but also the necessity of the heavenly ordinance of singing scripture psalmes in the churches of god.
Bay psalm book the whole booke of psalmes first edition. For comparison, the last time a copy of the bay book of psalms was sold was in 1947, when it. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some. A census and account of copies is given in wilberforce eames introduction to the bay psalm book. The bay psalm book was published in 1640, more than a century and a half after the first gutenberg bibles and 20 years after the pilgrims had landed at plymouth. Nov 16, 20 let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first booklength publication in the north american colonies. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance, sale. The puritan divines of the massachusetts bay colony set out to produce a translation from the hebrew that was reflective.
A copy of the 1640 bay psalm book is found among his own rare book collection at his posh house. It was the first book printed in british north america. The bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america. Chapter 2 examines a selection of these, ranging from the plain style of george wither, whose bid to supplant sternhold and hopkins ran afoul of the stationers monopoly, and the even more prosaic bay psalm book 1640, whose principal concern was wordforword faithfulness to the hebrew text, to the more literary work of george sandys, who wrote for private devotion rather than. The first book to be printed in north america, twenty years after the arrival of the pilgrim fathers in massachusetts, and now the most expensive book. Jonathan dehaven, the director of the library of congress rare books and special collections section is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Psalm 23 bay psalm book, 1698, by john playford 1623. Bay psalm book, byname of the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. Its a book that was not created to be fancy or splendid or valuable in any way other than the significance of its content, says derick dreher, the director of philadelphias rosenbach library, one of the few institutions to hold a bay psalm book.
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